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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chip — to eat
  5. object — to protest
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. land — ground
  11. dip — to sink
  12. land — a country
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mark — a grade
  16. stock — shares
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. object — an aim
  19. shower — to wash
  20. land — to come down
  21. object — a thing
  22. chip — for betting
  23. shower — rain
  24. mark — to pay attention

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com